ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Article Analysis on Environmental Psychology

Article Analysis on Environmental Psychology

Introduction

Environmental Psychology studies the environmental awareness of the human being, or psychological processes involved in the relationship between the physical environment and behavior. However, it represents an essential tool to promote environmental care, preservation and proper and rational transformation, avoiding jeopardizing the future of coming generations. Although many current events affect environmental psychology, perhaps by far the most widespread human affect is the process by which people obtain food. The processes range from highly sustainable to severely polluting, and a large percentage of the population is ignorant of these processes. Although many people seek healthy choices, they are not prepared to make conscious decisions, which can have altering effects on both the individual and the natural environment. Feeding our growing populations has become an issue of momentous consequence, and empirical evidence through scientific exploration is an essential component toward accommodating sustenance for both the species and the environment by which it thrives.

Article Summary

Even, though, there has been an abundant increase in individual attitudes on sustainable food consumption, behavior is not universally consistent with attitudes. Vermeir and Verbeke (2006) aimed to identify the behavioral gap between the two. Barriers to sustainable food consumption include personal ignorance about sustainability as well as believing sustainable products are unavailable, overpriced, or inconvenient, price being the most significant barrier. Even when consumers can afford the price difference, there is little empirical evidence supporting the use of more expensive product. Vermeir and Verbeke (2006) analyzed “the impact of involvement, perceived availability, certainty, perceived consumer effectiveness, values and social norms on consumers' attitudes and intentions towards sustainable food products” (p. 169). They found involvement with sustainability, certainty about the effects of unsustainable consumerism, and perceived consumer effectiveness had a significant, positive influence on attitude and intention. Furthermore, they determined perceiving limited availability negatively affected intention to purchase, and social pressure was more influential than personal attitudes. Vermeir and Verbeke (2006) established sustainable and ethical food consumption gets efficiently promoted through raising involvement, helping consumers understand the power of their choices, promoting certainty in sustainable food theories, social pressure, and increasing the awareness of the availability. Minteer, Corley, and Manning (2004) claim to link values with intentions to purchase sustainable products varied throughout the population; however, raising public awareness and involvement, strengthening experiential as well as social understanding and certainty significantly increase sustainable food consumption.

However, in the recent decade, it ...